The latest robot designed for edutainment purposes in South Korea is undergoing a three week field trial in kindergarten classrooms. The children seem to enjoy the robot’s interactive games and educational software, which teaches them basics like the English alphabet. Kids can easily activate different programs by touching the robot with wireless key cards, and the teachers claim it enhances concentration and creative thinking. Just what kind of long-term effects these robots will have on kids is yet to be seen, but the government is forging ahead with its R-Learning initiatives.

The Robot Institute is hedging their bets by programming KIRO to work as a guide in museums and art galleries, where it got a great response from visitors. The robot moves autonomously through the exhibit, stopping to give relevant details that you would otherwise have to read in a guide booklet. Museums are showing interest in the technology because it puts a new spin on a familiar experience. The company has plans to market the robot not only in South Korea, but in China, the United States, and Europe as the service robot market heats up.

"We are of the Mighty Atom generation, and we were brought up looking at Atom in comics and animation, so it just seemed like it would be a great deal of fun to create something that can walk." - Ryozo Kato